Piece of furniture adapted to be converted from a seat into a bed

ABSTRACT

The piece of furniture is adapted to constitute a bed which, in the folded position obtained by an easy maneuver ensuring the locking of the folded elements, presents very reduced overall dimensions. The bed base comprises two head elements followed by an horizontal element, an intermediary element and a final leg element. The locking in the folded position is ensured by side plates each directly pivoted on the intermediary element and, through links, on two legs the maneuver of which is automatically ensured when the bed base is actuated. The leg element comprises a flexible seating to be used in the seat position of the piece of furniture.

[ June 26, 1973 PIECE OF FURNITURE ADAPTED TO BE CONVERTED FROM A SEATINTO A BED Albert Metayer, Genneteil, France Etablissements Metayer &Cie, Sarthe, France Filed: Dec. 15, 1971 Appl. No.: 208,103

Inventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl. 5/13, 5/29, 5/57 B Int. Cl. A47c 17/14 Field of Search 5/12, l3,14, 17,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1966 Gerth ..5/l3

4/1968 Mikos.....

2,340,845 2/1944 Hampton 5/48 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. NunbergAttorney-Linton & Linton [5 7] ABSTRACT The piece of furniture isadapted to constitute a bed which, in the folded position obtained by aneasy maneuver ensuring the locking of the folded elements, presents veryreduced overall dimensions. The bed base comprises two head elementsfollowed by an horizontal element, an intermediary element and a finalleg element. The locking in the folded position is ensured by sideplates each directly pivoted on the intermediary element and, throughlinks, on two legs the maneuver of which is automatically ensured whenthe bed base is actuated. The leg element comprises a flexible seatingto be used in the seat position of the piece of furniture.

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PIECE OF FURNITURE ADAPTED TO BE CONVERTED FROM A SEAT INTO A BED Theobject of this invention is a piece of furniture adapted to be convertedfrom a seat into a bed by unfolding successive elements which form thebed base, from head to foot, and by unfolding legs designed to supportthe elements used in the bed outside the furniture pieces assembly.

The aim of this invention is to form a bed-base structure as simple andeasy to handle as possible which can be used in a folded position as aseat in a beautiful display shell, and can be unfolded by pullingforward, passing over an attached front wooden-frame outside of whichthe legs automatically unfold. This convertible piece of furniture canbe completely folded up into a very compact unit that requires as littlespace as possible for transporting.

Although, in the form of an easy-chair or couch, the seats width maycorrespond to the beds width or length, the invention is particularlydesigned for the first case the bed-base structure consists then of atleast a head element which, in the seat position, is placed at the baseof the back of the piece of furnitures assembly.

The essential purpose of the present invention is to offer a mechanismdesigned to form a seat in as discrete a way as possible so that theesthetics of a set seat can be kept in a transformable seat themechanism folds up into the place where the seats stuffing was and allseat forms can be fitted, offering an extraordinary operatingflexibility because of all this. The mechanism is also designed toassure, when folded up into the seat position, locking of the folded upleg elements so that the bedding is clamped inside these foldedelements, independently of the pushing'of the unit back inside the pieceof furniture.

In order to obtain the results stated above, the invention is designedso that in the folded up position the furniture pieces bed base has twomain horizontally superimposed elements jointed to an intermediaryvertical element that folds up to the furniture pieces front surface andhas jointed side parts each one of these can slide longitudinally on themain element and folds up under the other main element each one isjointed to the intermediary'element as well as to a small connecting barwith a front support leg the front support bed-base element that followsthe two head elements,

the first head element is designed to be placed horizontally in thefolded up position, over the rearof the socalled main element and at thebase of the seats back the two head elements are connected to theattached support frame and to the following main element by two laterallinkage means that initially cause, when the piece of furniture isopened into the bed position, an immediate raising up of the mainelement which follows the two head elements due to the arrangement (oneach side of the bedbase) of a small bar jointed between this mainelement and a pivoting lever, this pivoting lever being held by two armsthat pivot on an attached support until the main element is raised up toa certain level.

According to a second form of embodiment of the invention, the bed basehas a single head element connected also to linkage means that assure,when the piece of furniture is open, a raising up of the main elementfollowing the single head element in the furniture pieces seat position,this head element comes to a vertical position for reentry into the backof the seat and forms a prop for the seating cushions of this seat. Inthe bed position, this head element can be either folded backhorizontally to support the bedding or held obliquely giving a betterhead support to the user. In the transporting position, this head piececan be folded back (from rear to front) in order to come into positionin the space designated between the two main superimposed elements andthe intermediary element.

In order to make the invention appear clearer, it will bedescribedhereafter, as examples, a form of embodiment thereof and a variationwith reference to the attached drawings in which FIGS. 1 and 2 showdiagrammatically a bed base, according to the invention, with the headpart and the foot part of the mechanism in the unfolded position (bedposition);

FIGS. 3 to 7 show the bed base (in prospective) in the successivepositions during unfolding of the bed FIGS. 8 and 9 show the details ofthe locking device in an intermediary position FIG. 10 shows (inprospective) a leg element in the folded back position when thepiece offurniture is used as a seat and FIGS. 11 to 15 are views correspondingrespectively to FIGS. 1-5, of a variation of the bed base according tothe invention.

To make the description easier, it will be noted first that for therepresented piece of furniture, the bed-base structure is symmetricalwith respect to a median vertical plane and that the jointed and guidingsystems of the movable parts are located on both sides of the structurein symmetrical positions in such a way that it will be sufficient todescribe only one of the two sides of the structure. The attached partis housed inside the furniture pieces shell which is not representedbecause it is not part of the invention and can be represented in anyoutside form whatsoever provided that the inside of the shell can acceptthe foldable bed base, following the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. l-10, a piece of furniture may be representedaccording to the invention in the following way the fixed part, housedinside the furniture pieces shell (not represented), is composed of arectangular metal frame 1 that has on each side a raised side support 2which has toward the rear, that is, toward the back of the piece offurniture, two jointed points 3-4, one in front of the other, in frontof which is an oblique grooveS on frame 1. This groove goes from frontto rear so that a roller 42, of the jointed linkage connected to frame 7of the bed-base element located in front of the two head elements, canslide'(the frames of these head elements are shown in 6-6). This rolleris secured to the end of an arm 8, toward the other end of which arejointed at 9-10, the ends of two small bars 11-12. The ends of pivotingarms 13-14 are jointed to the points 3-4 and the other ends of 13-14 arejointed at 15-16 to a pivoting lever 17 jointed at 18 on frames 6-6' andat 19 to the end of the small bar 11. The end of the small bar 12 isjointed to frame 6 at a point 20 located below joint 18 in the seatposition and in front of this same joint in the bed position. Frame 7 isjointed by means of its rear end on joint 9.

In the seat position (FIG. 3), frame 7 is pushed back behind in such away that its joint 9 on arm 8 is behind the fixed frame 1, the arm 8being placed horizontally from the rear end of groove 5. By meansofjoint 19, the small bar 1 1 has pushed back toward the rear thepivoting lever 17, thus lifting frame 6 around joint 20, in such a waythat the small bars 13-14 have an X configuration, since joint 15 isdisposed between joints 16 and 18 of lever 17. When the folding upmovement is completed, element 6 has pivoted on joint 18 and is foldedback forward to an horizontal position.

If, starting from this seat position, one pulls up the intermediaryframe 29 disposed vertically forward into the seat position, this frame29 drives frame 7, and as a result joint 9, so that arm 8, drived by thesmall bar 11, is pulled upward, which immediately raises frame 7 causinglever 17 (FIG. 4) to pivot, while a continuation of pulling on frame 7moves arm 8 toward the front along groove 5 and, during this operation,arm 8 is raised up to its final position (FIG. 2). A forward pullingthrust applied to frame 7 causes at the same time the folding back, inthe rear direction, to the horizontal, of the frames 6 and 6 and theraising of the small bar 17 then the small bar 17 is inclined toward therear by the small bar 11, joint 16 being held down in position by arm14.

When frame 7 is completely pulled out and arm 8 has slid along groove 5to its final position, then the small bar 17 is pulled forwards andupwards by its joint 19 on the small bar 11, and is an extension of thesmall bar 14. In this position, joint 20 of the small bar 12 is in frontof joint 18 at the same height, and frames 6-7 are horizontal extensionsof one another. Frames 6, 7 and 6 form the three head elements of thebed base in the bed position.

At the front end of frame 7 is pivoted a leg 21 which, in the seatposition, is raised up under this frame 7. This leg is actuated by asmall bar 22 which is jointed at 23 on leg 21 and at 24 on a controlplate 25. Joint 24 is to the back of plate 25, but the former is stilldoted behind with an axis 26 which slides in a horizontal slot 27 housedin frame 7, towards its front end, but behind of the joint of leg 21. Infront and toward the top, plate is jointed at 28 on an intermediaryframe element 29 jointed at 30 on frame 7 and at 31 on frame 32 of theleg element of the bed base. Near joint 31, the frame 32 is jointed at33 to a small bar 34 which ends by an axis 35 sliding into an inclinedslot 36 of the intermediary element 29. I

Frame -32, towards the middle of its length, has a leg 37 jointed at 38,and a small bentbar 39 is jointed from -one part at 40 on the leg 37 andat '41, at an angle in front of the bottom of the triangular plate 25.The leg 37 is in the shape of a transversal U frame'two branches ofwhich are jointed at 38 on both sides of frame 32.

When the bed base is in the seat position, frame 32 is folded up aboveframe 7 and leg 37 is folded back toward the rear on frame 32, thesliding axis 26 being located at the bottom of the running surface inthe guiding slot 27. If leg 37 is raised, the sliding axis 26 can slidein front of plate 25, which folds back leg 21 by means of the small bar22 and, when plate 25 has completely slid by, leg 21 is in the verticalsupport position. A continuation of pulling forwards on leg 37 has thenfor an effect a raising of frame 32 (FIG. 6) during which the slidingaxis 35 of the small bar 34 is moved into its guiding slot 36 toward thefront. When frame 32 is completely lowered to the horizontal position(FIG. 7), the small bar 39 has brought leg 37 into the vertical supportposition on the ground.

In order to assure the folding up of the mechanism from the bedposition, first of all frame 32 is raised, so that the small bar 34slides toward the rear into the inclined slot 36 of the intermediaryelement 29, with the effect of maintaining the elements 32 and 39 atright angles at this time, locking is not done.

By pushing on element 32, part 25 slides into the slot 27 of element 7,but this sliding is not done until it is at the bottom of the runningsurface. A pressure towards the bottom on leg 37 in the direction ofelement 32 is required so that there is complete sliding. Pressure onleg 37 drives the small bar 39 which pivots part 25 and the former goesto the bottom of the running surface of slot 27. At this time, lockingis completed and the bedding is clamped between elements 32 and 7.

In order to make the drawing clearer, in FIG. 3 the frame 6' isrepresented in the raised position when the mechanism is in the seatposition. However, another improvement in the invention is provided forin this seat position the frame 6' is folded back in front, horizontallyabove the bed base part located then in back this folding back isassured automatically by the stop 43 of lever 17 (FIG. 1) acting behindframe 6'. As soon as the reentry movement begins, element 6 is supportedon stop 43 and, as the movement continues, the small bar 17 pivotstoward the rear so that stop 43 folds back element 6' which comes to thehorizontal position, serving thus as a prop for the seat cushions andpreventing them from sliding under the back. Moreover, in thetransporting position of the mechanism without bedding the element 6' isfolded back even more obliquely under element 32, which assures a veryfavorable reduction in space.

The mechanism so far described is completed by the set up of spring 44,hooked between frame 1 and the end of lever 14, and spring 45, hookedbetween the lever ends of 13-14. These springs are designed to makeunfolding and folding maneuvers easier.

The various bed-base elements 6', 6, 7, and 29 support a steel-wire oranother type of material) network 46 connected to the correspondingframe by means of helical springs 47. On the front end (in the seatposition as shown at FIG. 10) of each side of frame 32, the end of aflexible steel strip 48 is attached by a rivet 49 while, at the otherend of this steel strip, a rivet 50 secured to frame 32 slides into aslot 51 provided on this flexible strip. The two lateral flexible strips48 of FIG. 10 are interconnected by a flexible network 52 which forms infront (in the seat position shown at FIG. 10) a flexible front surfaceheld on each side by a spring 53 which is attachedto the intermediaryelement 29. It will be understood that in the seat position, theflexible strips 48 make up a flexible seating bent by sliding on therivets 50.

The base support 1 has four vertical steel plates at its corners whichmake up the two rear plates 54 and the two front plates 55 (FIG. 1).Plates 54-55 have slots 56 and 57, horizontal and vertical respectively,which are designed to lock into long bolts 58-59 attached to the woodenfurniture pieces frame. In addition, straps can be provided for on theplates, such as the straps indicated at 60 on plate 55, to receive foreach plate a cotter-pin which is placed against the associated long boltto strengthen the attachment.

A variation of the piece of furniture according to the invention isindicated now in FIGS. 11-15. In this variation, identical or analogousmembers to those represented in FIGS. 1-10 (for this type of operation)are designated by the same reference numerals. On frame 61, there isattached a side support 62 to which is jointed at two points 63 and 64(the first toward the rear and the second toward the front) the laterallinkage of the mechanism, this latter being thus a carrier of thefurniture pieces furnished unit. It will be understood that, withoutpulling out the inventions framework, the side support 62 could bemounted on the inside part of the furniture pieces shell and, in thiscase, the mechanism is carried by the furniture pieces furnished unit.

On support 62, the end of pivoting arm 74 is jointed at 63, while theother end of 74 is jointed at 75 to the small bars 72 and 73 and the endof pivoting arm 68 is jointed at 64 on support 62 while the other end of68 is jointed at 69 to a pivoting lever 71 jointed at 77 to the smallbar 72, which is jointed in turn at 75 to the small bar 73 and to thearm 74, and, at 72, to the end of the single head element 66. A spring84 is attached by its rear end to the pivoting arm 74, and, in thefront, to support 62. Frame 7 of the middle element is jointed at 72 tothe head element 66, and a bent small bar 78 is jointed, on the one handat 69 to the arm 68 and to the lever 71 and, on the other hand, at 79 tothe frame 7, and finally at 80 to a small bar 82 the other end of whichis jointed at 83 to leg 21, this latter being also jointed at 30 to therear end of frame 7. This joint 30 acts also as a connection betweenframe 7 of the middle element and the intermediary element 29.

The control mechanism for folding and locking the middle element 7, theintermediary element 29, and the leg element 32 will not be described,for it is exactly the same as that described in FIGS. 1-10, only if thecontrol device 25, instead of in the form of a triangular plate jointedby means of a small bar to leg 21 of element 7, is in the form of a bentpart which is no longer connected to leg 21, the movement of this lastone being then controlled by the small bar 82.

When the piece of furniture is in the seat position (FIG. 13), frame 7of the middle element is placed toward the rear so that joint 69 to arm68 is behind support 62. Lever 71 is pushed into the horizontal positionand the small bar 72 pushes the head element 66 into the verticalposition, lever 71 and arm 74 being then in an X configuration. As shownabove, elements 7 and 32 are superimposed in the horizontal position andelement 29, set in the vertical position, forms the bedding recess. Leg21 is folded back against element 7. If, starting from this seatposition, the vertically set intermediary element 29 is pulled upwards,this element 29 drives in this movement the frame of element 7 and, as aresult, joint 69, so that arm 68 drives lever 71 and is pulled upwards,that immediately raises frame 7 (FIG. 14), causing arm 74 to pivot,while spring 84, which is extended when in the seat position of thefurniture piece, returns to its initial position, driving arm 74forward. In this movement, arm 74 drives the small bar 72,

pivoting horizontally the head element 66 which engages the stop 65, thesmall bar 78, and in its extension the small bar 82 which pushes leg 21back towards the front until it is brought up into the vertical positionwhen the maneuver is completed (FIG. 15). The unfolding of the leg partof the furniture piece as well as its folding up and its locking into afolded position are executed in the way already described in referenceto FIGS. 1-10 and will not be described again.

In order to fold the head part of the furniture piece, the terminaltransversal bar of element 32 (FIG. 15) is grasped to raise it and pushit back. As soon as the reentry movement is started, the head element 66is supported on stop 65 which ison the small bar 72 and the head element66 then comes to the vertical position inside the back of the furniturepiece forming the seat.

It will be noted that, in order to transport the mechanism in the foldedposition, the head element 66 folds back from rear to front around itsjoint 72', coming to rest against two pinions attached to the middleelement 7 and housed in the space designed for the bedding, that is,between element 7, the seated element 32, and the intermediary element29. The folded mechanism, therefore, is in the form of arectangle-parallelepiped, particularly good for transporting it.

It will also be noted that in the unfolded position of the furniturepiece (for making the bed), the head element 66 can either, asdescribed, be folded back horizontally to support the bedding or be heldin an oblique position to assure the user a suitably relaxing position.

It will be pointed out that the examples of execution described aboveand represented in the attached drawing have no specific restrictionsand that certain elements could be replaced by equivalent ones. Inaddition, in order to make the drawing clearer, certain figures havebeen simplified by omitting elements represented on other figures.

What I claim is 1. A bed base for a piece of furniture adapted to beconverted from a seat into a bed comprising a fixed frame, at least onehead element, levers pivotally connecting said head element to saidfixed frame in such a manner that said head element moves inside theback of the piece of furniture in the seat position, a main framepivotally connected at its back end to said head element, anintermediate element pivotally connected to the forward end of said mainframe, a leg element pivotally connected at one end to said intermediateelement, a first leg, a bed base, means pivotally connected said bedbase to said first leg at its upper end to said main frame in such amanner that said first leg folds under said main frame when said bedbase folds from the bed position to the seat position, a second legpivotally connected at its upper end to said leg element and capable ofbeing folded forward along said leg element, a bar pivotally connectedat one end to said leg element, said intermediate element having aninclined side slot, a pin on said bar slideably positioned in said slotfor folding said leg element at right angles to said intermediateelement, a control member pivotally connected at one end to saidintermediate member, a transverse pin on the other end of said controlmember, said main frame having a side slot with said control member pinslideably positioned therein, a bar pivotally connected at one end to anintermediate part of said control member and at its other end to saidsecond leg whereby the thrust exerted on said second leg at the end ofthe folding movement of said leg element brings said leg elementparallel to said main frame causing the abutment of said transverse pinof said control member against the back end of said main frame slot andthus the locking in their folded positions of said main frame,intermediate element and leg elements.

2. A bed base as claimed in claim 1 including two head elements, a leverpivotally connected to said head elements, a pair of arms pivotallyconnected to said lever and said fixed frame, a grooved bar, a roller insaid grooved bar, a roller arm carrying said roller and pivotallyconnected to said main frame, a small bar pivotally connected to saidroller arm and said lever whereby the pulling forward of said main framecauses said head elements to be raised upwardly.

3. A bed base as claimed in claim 2 wherein support legs are pivotallyconnected to said main frame, small bars are pivotally connected to saidsupport legs and said intermediate elements whereby said legs areautomatically extended to vertical positions during sliding of saidintermediate elements from the rear to the front of said main frame.

4. A bed base comprising a fixed base support, a main frame, a headelement pivotally connected to said main frame, a first arm pivotallyconnected to said base support, a small bar pivotally connected to saidfirst arm and to said head element where said head element is pivotallyconnected to said main frame, a second arm pivotally connected to saidbase support, a second arm pivotally connected to said second arm andsaid small bar, a bent control lever pivotally connected to said mainframe, said second arm and a connecting arm pivotally connected to saidsecond arm and said first arm.

5. A bed base as claimed in claim 4 including a spring means connectingsaid first arm to said base support tending to draw said first armtowards the front of said base support in order to permit an easierunfolding of the head element.

6. A bed base as claimed in claim 4 including support legs pivotallyconnected to said main frame, connecting arms pivotally connected tosaid support legs and saidbent control lever.

7. A bed base as claimed in claim 4 including a flexible seating on saidsupport legs, providing a spring support for the bed base in the bedposition and a cushion support in the seat position.

8. A bed base as claimed in claim 7 wherein said leg elements have theform of a frame with concave sides, resilient means moveably connectedto said frame sides and attached to said flexible seating whereby saidseating can bend under the weight of users of the bed base when used asa seat.

1. A bed base for a piece of furniture adapted to be converted from aseat into a bed comprising a fixed frame, at least one head element,levers pivotally connecting said head element to said fixed frame insuch a manner that said head element moves inside the back of the pieceof furniture in the seat position, a main frame pivotally connected atits back end to said head element, an intermediate element pivotallyconnected to the forward end of said main frame, a leg element pivotallyconnected at one end to said intermediate element, a first leg, a bedbase, means pivotally connected said bed base to said first leg at itsupper end to said main frame in such a manner that said first leg foldsunder said main frame when said bed base folds from the bed position tothe seat position, a second leg pivotally connected at its upper end tosaid leg element and capable of being folded forward along said legelement, a bar pivotally connected at one end to said leg element, saidintermediate element having an inclined side slot, a pin on said barslideably positioned in said slot for folding said leg element at rightangles to said intermediate element, a control member pivotallyconnected at one end to said intermediate member, a transverse pin onthe other end of said control member, said main frame having a side slotwith said control member pin slideably positioned therein, a barpivotally connected at one end to an intermediate part of said controlmember and at its other end to said second leg whereby the thrustexerted on said second leg at the end of the folding movement of saidleg element brings said leg element parallel to said main frame causingthe abutment of said transverse pin of said control member against theback end of said main frame slot and thus the locking in their foldedpositions of said main frame, intermediate element and leg elements. 2.A bed base as claimed in claim 1 including two head elements, a leverpivotally connected to said head elements, a pair of arms pivotallyconnected to said lever and said fixed frame, a grooved bar, a roller insaid grooved bar, a roller arm carrying said roller and pivotallyconnected to said main frame, a small bar pivotally connected to saidroller arm and said lever whereby the pulling forward of said main framecauses said head elements to be raised upwardly.
 3. A bed base asclaimed in claim 2 wherein support legs are pivotally connected to saidmain frame, small bars are pivotally connected to said support legs andsaid intermediate elements whereby said legs are automatically extendedto vertical positions during sliding of said intermediate elements fromthe rear to the front of said main frame.
 4. A bed base comprising afixed base support, a main frame, a head element pivotally connected tosaid main frame, a first arm pivotally connected to said base support, asmall bar pivotally connected to said first arm and to said head elementwhere said head element is pivotally connected to said main frame, asecond arm pivotally connected to said base support, a second armpivotally connected to said second arm and said small bar, a bentcontrol lever pivotally connected to said main frame, said second armand a connecting arm pivotally connected to said second arm and saidfirst arm.
 5. A bed base as claimed in claim 4 including a spring meansconnecting said first arm to said base support tending to draw saidfirst arm towards the front of said base support in order to permit aneasier unfolding of the head element.
 6. A bed base as claimed in claim4 including support legs pivotally connected to said main frame,connecting arms pivotally connected to said support legs and said bentcontrol lever.
 7. A bed base as claimed in claim 4 including a flexibleseating on said support legs, providing a spring support for the bedbase in the bed position and a cushion support in the seat position. 8.A bed base as claimed in claim 7 wherein said leg elements have the formof a frame with concave sides, resilient means moveably connected tosaid frame sides and attached to said flexible seating whereby saidseating can bend under the weight of users of the bed base when used asa seat.